COLOMBO. 243 



even for adulterating liquor, and wliile alcohol is everywhere heavily- 

 taxed, the former passes duty free. It was exceedingly annoying 

 that I should be compelled to pay an import duty of four hundred 

 per cent., and had I only known in time, I would have kept my 

 rupees and left the case of spirits in the Custom House till dooms- 

 day. I tried to get the authorities to take it back, return my four 

 hundred per cent, duty, and have the case sold as unclaimed. They 

 " couldn't do it." Would they receive it back, return the duty, and 

 let me ship it to Singapore ? " Couldn't do it." I then offered, if 

 they would return my rupees to take the unlucky case of spirits 

 through the Custom House, and bury it in a quiet comer of the 

 back yard where it wouldn't smell bad. Still they " couldn't do it." 

 Could they if I would erect a tombstone over it, and a monument 

 to its memory in the square? No. They "couldn't do it." They 

 had those rupees, and they meant to keep them. 



To many men a hundi-ed dollars is a mere trifle, but to a natural- 

 ist in the field it means quite a goodly collection of rare and valu- 

 able specimens. Unless such a man has a million to back him he 

 cannot go about spending money recklessly from the beginning to 

 the end of the chapter. He always longs to do five times as much 

 as he has means to accomplish, and does not have a dollar to spend 

 unnecessarily. Ten chances to one he spends more money than he 

 has, and is compelled to borrow funds to get home with. 



Just here I wish to record the opinion that no country has any 

 business to exact custom-house duties on the scientific apparatus, 

 outfit, or supplies of any kind can-ied by a travelling naturalist or 

 scientific investigator, either great or small. The expenses of aU 

 such persons should be made as light as possible, and both govern- 

 ments and corporations should take pleasure in making exceptions in 

 their favor.* The unavoidable expenses of such travellers are al- 

 ways heavy ; they usually receive small pay for their labors, if, in- 

 deed, they receive anything at all ; and their plans always reach to 

 the bottom of their purse. Moreover, the visit of every hard-work- 

 ing naturalist to a foreign countrj'- is very apt to result beneficially 

 to the place visited — even though the benefit be small and long de- 

 layed. At all events the traveller is certain to leave a good portion 



* The C. H. Mallory line of steamships plying between Galveston, Texas, 

 and New York, carry all boxes of Natural History specimens at half rates, and 

 transship them in New York free of charge. Is there any reason why all 

 steamship lines should not do the same ? The effect upon our museums would 

 be a tremendous increase in specimens of all kinds. 



